Events

Learn to Sing Kabir

Once a month, on a Sunday morning, I teach a folk song of Kabir or another poet online to a small group. Everyone is welcome to join and sing along! We have a discussion about the song and its words and then learn to sing it. Entry is free. You may contribute something if you wish. This Sunday, 20 Dec, at 10.30 am. Please send me a private message for details if interested.
Feel free to invite friends and other like minded people who may want to experience this.
A Zoom meeting has been scheduled for the “Kabir Folk” group on:
Date – 20th Dec 2020
Time – 10:30 a.m.

The Inner Journey: An Introduction

The Inner Journey
with Vipul Rikhi 

Sunday, 13 Dec, 4-5 pm, Online 

An introduction to the idea of the inner journey, ‘looking within’, and the deeper significance of human life. Accompanied by some meditation and music, as well as discussion and Q&A. Prior registration necessary. Please register at ektasgatherings@gmail.com
Fee: Contribute from the heart 

Vipul Rikhi is a writer, singer, storyteller, translator, dancer and meditator, immersed in the oral traditions of Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets for over a decade. He is the author of several books of poetry, fiction and translation. He sings mystic poetry in the folk music traditions and performs widely.
Web site: https://vipulrikhi.com/

South Asian Multilingual at SOAS

Online event hosted by SOAS Festival of Ideas.
24 Oct, 5.30 pm IST
Free event. Registration mandatory here.

South Asian Multilingual: Kabir & Ishq Fakiri by Vipul Rikhi; Bengal Qawwal by Arman Fakir, M H Hosainy and Abu H Talukder.

South Asian Multilingual Performance

This multilingual session in two parts brings into focus the value of oral tradition, folk tunes and mystic poetry in the subcontinent contributing to the broad canvas of World music. Sufism originating in Baghdad, Iraq has produced a large body of multilingual poetry in Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and has been the esoteric philosophical base for engaging with Islam in the world. Integrated with local culture, Sufi poetry has been the source for the genre of Sufi music, lyrics in folk and qawwali as cultural products of the philosophic verses. Vernacular language and anti-communal lineages of folk music showcase a pre-Partition composite music culture, and a post-Partition memory of the homeland. Folk songs of Kabir (circa 1440-1518) and other Bhakti and Sufi poets from India, sharpen the definition of the self through both experience and imagination, teach peace, equality and diversity as opposed to constructed identities based on gender, religion and nation.

Concert in Chandigarh

Songs of Kabir
23 October, 5-7 pm, Mera.Ki, Sector 18, Chandigarh

Learn to Sing Kabir!

Every month on a Sunday morning I teach a folk song of Kabir or another poet online to a small group. Everyone is welcome to join and sing along! We have a discussion about the song and its words and then learn to sing it. Entry is free. You may contribute something if you like.

Enjoy this coming Sunday morning a satsang with Vipul Rikhi. Learn a new bhajan and sing along the virtual mode!
A Zoom meeting has been scheduled for the “Kabir Folk” group on:
Date – 18th Oct 2020
Time – 11:00 a.m.
The Link is given below:
https://VMware.zoom.us/j/94104247632?pwd=U3FRRjRQakJIVEJNVWpaekdtekhYdz09 Alternatively, you can use Meeting ID: 941 0424 7632
Password: 974914

Feel free to invite friends and other like minded people who may want to experience this!!!

Sufi-Nama: Songs & Stories of the Sufis

Songs and legends from the Sufi masters. Experience the flavours of folk music and the deep philosophy and poetry of the mystics.

Wednesday, 7 Oct, 8-10 pm, at Sensistan.Space in Badem, Assagao, Goa. Entry Rs 300.

Vipul Rikhi narrates stories from the lives and worlds of Kabir, Bulleshah, Shah Latif, Meera and others, and sings songs from the Bhakti and Sufi traditions linked to these stories. Legends, folk tales, allegorical anecdotes all come alive along with passionate songs speaking of profound truths.

All That You Could Not Say

All That You Could Not Say: Poetry, Translation, Silence and Song.
Zoom Session, Tuesday, 28 July, 9 pm IST.
Please email me for coordinates if interested.

Lens into the Self

Lens into the Self
Invitation for an online satsang
of songs of Kabir & other mystics
by Vipul Rikhi

Join us this Friday afternoon, May 1st, at 4.30 pm IST as Vipul shares some folk songs of Kabir and other Bhakti & Sufi poets. These songs speak of essential truths, especially relevant in these challenging times.

Join Zoom Meeting
Please write to vipulrikhi at yahoo for coordinates.

The event will also be streamed live on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkC5E1zd-f8P_Cl1c3c2qg

Re Kabira Re: Facebook Live

Facebook Live Session, on Kaafiya Facebook page
Thursday, 23 April, 5.30 pm

‘Re Kabira Re’ is a soul stirring journey of healing. Let us live the era of bhakti and sufism with Vipul Rikhi.

We know how much you would love to. So on this Thursday eve, 23rd April from 5:30 p.m. he will be performing LIVE on Facebook Kaafiya Page.

Zooming into the Truth

Zooming into the Truth
Invitation for a virtual satsang
of songs of Kabir & other mystics
by Vipul Rikhi

Join us this Sunday afternoon as Vipul shares some folk songs of Kabir and other Bhakti & Sufi poets. These songs speak of essential truths, especially relevant in these challenging times.

Topic: Satsang with Vipul Rikhi
Time: Apr 12, 2020 04:00 PM Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi

Join Zoom Meeting
Please write to vipulrikhi at yahoo for coordinates.

Discovering Kabir & Other Mystics

Discovering Kabir & other Mystics
Saturday, March 14, 7 pm
Thumbai, Edyanchavadi, Auroville
RSVP 9901665111

Sufi-Nama

Sufi-Nama: Stories & Songs from Kabir & other Sufis
By Vipul Rikhi
Sunday, 8 March, 11 am -12.30 pm
Shoonya Centre for Art & Somatic Practices, Bangalore
Tickets: Rs 300 @ https://imojo.in/qnc87e
(Tickets also at the venue. Partial floor seating)

Vipul narrates stories from the lives and worlds of Kabir, Bulleshah, Shah Latif, Meera and others, and sings songs from the Bhakti and Sufi traditions linked to these stories. Legends, folk tales, allegorical anecdotes all come alive along with passionate songs speaking of profound truths.

About the Artist:
Vipul Rikhi is a singer, poet, storyteller and translator, immersed in the oral traditions of Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets. He is the author of several books of poetry, fiction and translation. He has a deep love for singing mystic poetry in the folk music traditions and performs widely.
Web site: https://vipulrikhi.com/

Songs of Nature

What does nature have to teach us and how do mystic poets draw from it? How do they look into both the outer and the inner nature, and the connection between the two?

Come listen to Vipul Rikhi, singer, poet, storyteller and translator, share songs of Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets, speaking of inner and outer landscapes on Thursday, the 27th of February 2020 at the Sensible.Earth Outdoor Amphitheatre, 6:30 pm onwards

Entry: Rs. 300/-
Entry plus dinner: Rs. 600/-
Our café will remain open 🙂

Find us at:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cpQJEtgXbEdWjFEJ6

RSVP on +91 9922411239

Kabir Concert at Development Management Day

Songs of Kabir at ‘Development Management Day’
Organised by Indian School of Development Management
February 1, 5.15 pm, Jawahar Bhavan, New Delhi

Learn to sing Kabir

Learn to sing Kabir folk songs with Vipul Rikhi
Shoonya, Lalbagh Main Road, Bangalore
26 January, 11 am to 1 pm

Come together with Vipul Rikhi to learn a song of Kabir or another mystic poet, in the spirit of sharing, openness, and togetherness. Entry is open and free. No prior training or experience in singing is required. The idea is to come together in the spirit of Kabir and Bhakti, and delve deep into one song, in terms of the words, meanings and also singing it together as it is sung in the folk traditions from various parts of the country.

A Thousand Doorways

Thursday, 23 January, Bangalore International Centre, 7 pm

How do mystic poets speak to us today? Exploring the inspiration to curate, translate and interpret the voices of mystic poets in our current socio-political and spiritual realities, this discussion will probe the challenge and ideal of love in our fractious times. Shabnam Virmani and Vipul Rikhi of the Kabir Project in discussion with eminent film critic and writer, CS Venkiteswaran, in the context of their two recently published books of translations from Shah Latif, Kabir and other poets.

Sufi-Nama: Stories & Songs from Kabir and other Sufis

Sufi-Nama: Stories & Songs from Kabir & other Sufis
11 January, ‘Spoken’ Fest, JioWorld Garden, Mumbai

In this presentation, Vipul Rikhi recounts stories from the Kabir and Sufi traditions, and sings songs connected with the stories.

Kabir Concert at Organic Mahotsav

Songs of Kabir & Other Mystics

Ishq Mastana in London

Ishq Mastana | Drunk on Love
Life & Philosophy of Kabir, in Story & Song
by Vipul Rikhi

Saturday, 2nd November, 7 PM
School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS)
10 Thornhaugh Street, London

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drunk-on-love-ishq-mastana-songs-of-kabir-vipul-rikhi-tickets-76958269255

An introduction to the enigmatic, iconoclastic 15th century Bhakti-Sufi poet, Kabir, through storytelling, commentary, poetry and songs. The songs are in dialects of Hindi and the entire narration will be in English.

Events in Scotland

Events in Aberdeen, Banchory and Findhorn, in Scotland, between 27th and 31st October.

27th October, Love Yoga Studio, 42 Union Terrace, Aberdeen, 6 to 7.30 PM
28th October, Sunninghill, Ramsay Road, Banchory, 7 to 8 PM
29th October, 3 Inchgarth Mews Cults, Aberdeen, 5.45 to 7 PM
31st October, Sunshine Room, 505 East Whins House, Findhorn, 6.45 to 8 PM
Contact: Prriyanka 07377186360

Ishq Mastana in Scotland

Ishq Mastana | Drunk on Love

Life and philosophy of Kabir, in story and song

by Vipul Rikhi

An introduction to the enigmatic, iconoclastic 15th century Bhakti-Sufi poet, Kabir, through storytelling, commentary, poetry and songs. The songs are in dialects of Hindi and the entire narration will be in English.

Sunday, 27 October, 6 PM
Love Yoga Studio, Aberdeen

Unlocking the Wisdom of Kabir

October 23, 2019, 6:30 pm – 9 pm
Mill Hill, London
RSVP at this link:
https://www.servicespace.org/event/view.php?eid=10480

“…But if a mirror ever makes
you sad…you should know
that it does not know you.”
― Kabir

Possibly the most-quoted poet-saint of North India is Kabir, the illiterate, 15th century mystic Saint who belonged to a class of weavers in the ancient city of Varanasi. Kabir was a ‘nirguni’, one who believes in a formless divinity that can be discovered both within and without. His poetry scorns outward rituals and displays of piety with a whip-like wit, exhorting his listeners to seek the divine wisdom through self-interrogation, and to recognise the impermanence of manifest reality. His works have never been documented, rather have traversed centuries by way of song and translations across India, Pakistan and the world.  

We invite you to come together for an evening of Song and contemplation on the Poetry of Kabir, interpreted in English and sung by Vipul Rikhi, who is in London for a short visit.  The evening offers a deep dive into understanding  the wisdom  of self enquiry embedded in Kabir’s poetry, which Vipul interprets in simple stories.  

The Flow of the eventing is as follows:

• 6:30pm – Share a Home-cooked Vegetarian Dinner  
• 7:15pm – Unlocking the mystical poetry of Kabir , performed and translated by Vipul Rikhi 
• 9 pm – Conclude 

Please RSVP to let us know if you can join. 

Kahat Kabir

Kahat Kabir: Songs of Kabir & other Mystics
Kutcheri Kulture, BCH Alexandria, HAL 3rd Stage, Bangalore
Sunday, 20 October, 6.15 pm

Songs of Kabir & Other Mystics

Downstairs@S47
presents

Suno Bhai Sadho: Songs of Kabir and Other Mystics
by Vipul Rikhi
Sun, 6 October 2019  |  S47, Panchsheel Park
7.00 pm onwards 
Duration: 75-90 minutes
Language: Hindi (songs) and English (narration)
Suitable for audiences 5 years of age and above.
Audience members arriving after 7pm will be allowed in during designated breaks.
~

About the performance
Vipul Rikhi sings folk songs of Kabir and other Bhakti & Sufi poets from South Asia, such as Gorakhnath, Bulleshah, Shah Latif, Meera and others. In his performances, he likes to bring equal emphasis to the poetry and its insights as to the sheer beauty of the folk tunes. He shares songs from centuries-old oral traditions of mystic poetry in the subcontinent.

You can read about the performance from the following sources.
News India Express
The Hindu
YouTube

About Vipul Rikhi
Vipul is a singer, poet, fiction writer and translator, immersed in the oral traditions of Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets for over a decade. He is the author of a novel, 2012 Nights, a collection of poems, Bleed, and co-author of I Saw Myself: Journeys with Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. His work with Kabir Project involves writing, translations, research, curations and the creation of a vast digital archive called ‘Ajab Shahar’. In the course of these magical journeys, he developed a deep love for singing mystic poetry in the folk music traditions and now performs widely. He is currently based in Goa. You can find out more about him here.

Credits

Vocals, Tambura and Khadtaal: Vipul Rikhi

—–

Space at the venue is limited. We cannot guarantee seats once they fill up. [Please note the directions above regarding the entry for this particular show] 

See attached map for directions.

The venue is down a flight of stairs. If you wish to use our chairlift facility, please arrive 15 minutes before the performance begins so we can ensure that you find a comfortable seat.

The venue is located in a residential area. We request you to park in the spaces suggested below.

 By the park behind the Mother Dairy nearby or the brick wall on the lane behind S47

 Hauz Khas. Laxman Public School/RBI Colony exit. 800m

Mann Laago Fakiri Mein

Songs of Kabir and other Mystics

Celebrating Gandhi 150

2 October, 7 PM, Shikshantar, 21 Fatehpura, Udaipur

Suno Bhai Sadho

Songs of Kabir & Other Mystics
Courtyard Koota, GoodEarth Tarana, Kengeri, Bangalore
Sunday, 22 September, 5.30-7 PM

More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2778734692148428/
Tickets at the venue or here:
https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/suno-bhai-sadhon-songs-of-kabir-and-others/ET00110276

Ishq Mastana in Hyderabad

Ishq Mastana: Life and Philosophy of  Kabir in Story and Song
Friday 7 pm, 13 September
Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
More details here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/586776078513759/

Songs of Kabir

Songs of Kabir & other Mystics
Thursday, 29 August, 8 pm
@ The Project Cafe, Assagao, Goa

Vipul Rikhi in Concert

9 June 2019, Villasur de Herreros, Burgos, Spain
Details here:
https://revolucionaltruista.org/2019/05/27/vipul-rikhi-en-concierto/

Bhakti-Sufi Confluence

Songs of Kabir & Shah Latif
@ the University of Bern, Switzerland
27 May 2019, 7 – 8.30 pm

Songs of Kabir

Songs of Kabir & Other Mystics
BASE, Morjim, Goa
3 May 2019, 7.30 pm

Courtyard Music: Songs of the Mystics

Songs of the Mystics

by Vipul Rikhi
Saturday, 2 March, 6 pm
co-Veda courtyard, Chandigarh

Evening Of Mystic Poetry

Saturday, 16 February, 8 pm

Acropolis, Colaba, Mumbai

Devotion As Dissent

This performance-talk explores the idea and practice of nirgun Bhakti poetry and music as dissent, not just in the sense of offering social commentary and critique around caste and religious oppressions and corruptions, but equally in basing this critique firmly in a sense of the sacred. How does an attitude of reverence impact our understanding of ourselves and of the world? Do we need to question only mainstream fundamentalisms, or could we also cultivate a sense of self-interrogation? What is our own relationship with the sacred?

Sunday Morning Satsang

Songs of Kabir by Vipul Rikhi

Sunday Morning Satsang at the Courtyard!

The Courtyard, Double Road, Bangalore

Sunday, 27 January, 11 am – 12.30 pm

Tickets: Rs 200 (https://imjo.in/dXphXd )

Come for a Sunday morning immersion into yourself through the striking poetry and folk melodies of Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets. Vipul will share songs from Malwa, Rajasthan, Kutch and other places, which speak of profound truths with great beauty and simplicity.

Vipul Rikhi writes, translates, sings, plays and performs. He is a co-creator of ‘Ajab Shahar’, a vast digital archive of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul music. His work with Kabir Project includes extensive writings and translations in the area of mystic poetry, including forthcoming books. In the course of these journeys he has developed a deep love for singing mystic poetry in the folk music traditions. In his performances, he likes to bring equal emphasis to the poetry and its insights as to the sheer beauty of the folk tunes. He was a Fellow for Literature at the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Germany in 2010-11, and is the author of a novel, 2012 Nights, and collections of poetry and short stories. His latest book is Bleed.   

 https://vipulrikhi.com/

Launch of Bleed: Poems in English by Vipul Rikhi

Launch of ‘Bleed’, published by Hawakal Prokashana, at the lovely Atta Galatta Koramangala in Bangalore. I will be reading poems and will be in conversation with Shabnam, exploring ideas, thoughts and feelings around poetry, creation, self and space.

Do come if you’re in Bangalore and share with other lovers of poetry.

A video of a similar event here: https://youtu.be/3ZY1I5QcK7E
Event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1432793396854730/
Book link: http://www.hawakal.com/books/english-books/bleed/
On Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ybwdj8ae
Some poetry: https://vipulrikhi.com/poetry/
A report on Bleed: https://www.thehindu.com/…/an-evening-w…/article22878499.ece

Ishq Mastana in Singapore

Ishq Mastana: Life and Philosophy of  Kabir in Story and Song

by Vipul Rikhi

22nd December, 6 pm, Orchard Bel Air, Singapore

Suno Bhai Sadho!

Ishq Mastana in Bangalore

Conversations on Non-Violence with Kabir

In the 20th century, Gandhi ji reminded us with great force and beauty of our civilisational virtue of ahimsa or non-violence. What is the mystic view of violence and its absence?  What do Kabir and other mystic poets say about the subtle kinds of violence that we might, consciously and unconsciously, inflict on ourselves and on others? And what might be the dynamics between the presence of love, or “prem”, and the absence of violence?

In a freewheeling, non-didactic and open conversation, interspersed with dohas and songs from the oral folk mystic traditions, Vipul will attempt to explore some of these ideas in collaboration with everyone present.

Ishq Mastana in Delhi

Ishq Mastana | Drunk on Love

Life & Philosophy of Kabir in Story & Song

Sunday, 23 September, 7 pm

Amaltas, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Ishq Mastana | Drunk on Love

The Teachings of Kabir

Poetry and Teachings of Kabir in Song
Saturday, 11 August, 6.30 pm onwards
Moksh Banquets, Necklace Road, Hyderabad
Please register at www.soulmarg.org

Satsang: Songs of Kabir

Jagrat Rehna Re | A Call of Awakening

What does it mean to ‘wake up’, as Kabir & others often urge us to do? In what ways are we ‘asleep’? Through songs and conversations, we explore ideas & poetry around awareness, forgetfulness, being unconscious & being awake!

A workshop on Kabir.

At Srijan School of Music, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, UP.

On Sunday 22 July, 11am to 5pm.

For queries, write to: sanjay.advait@gmail.com

Dhai Akshar Prem Ka | The Letters of Love

On Love and Kabir

Speaking and singing session on Love and Kabir, as part of the FutureBoat conference.

Venue: Apollo amphitheatre, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Date and time: Saturday, 19 May, 5.30-10.30 pm.

Rooh ji Rehaan | A Gathering of Souls

Stories, poetry and songs from the world of Shah Latif.

At Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Wednesday, 2 May, 7.30 pm

Classical and Folk Kabir

Venue: Museum of Goa, Pilerne, Goa

Date and time: Friday, 20 April, 6-7 pm

Kabir was a supremely iconoclastic voice, whose songs remain vibrantly alive today almost 600 years later. A quintessential folk voice, he burst into the classical tradition through the inspired genius of Pt Kumar Gandharva, who was himself deeply inspired by the folk oral traditions of Malwa. Vipul will sing Kumar ji’s Kabir as well as a few folk compositions.

Kabir Sandhya | An Evening of Kabir in Varanasi

An evening of Kabir on the banks of the Ganga. Part of the silver jubilee celebrations of Prerna Kala Manch.

Venue: Dr Rajendra Prasad Ghat, Varanasi

Date & time: 7 April 2018, 7.30-9.30 pm

Songs of Kabir at Vasant Utsav, Delhi

Date & time: 24 March, 6 pm.

Venue: Government High School, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi

Love, Abandon, Interrogation

Venue: Oxford Bookstore, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Date & time: 23 March, 6 pm

Songs of Kabir: Satsang in Tiruvannamalai

Songs of Kabir and other Mystics by Vipul Rikhi

Date and time: 20 March 2018, 7 pm

Venue: Ramanaprabha, Near Siva Sannidhi, Tiruvannamalai

Bleed: An Evening of Poetry and Song by Vipul Rikhi

Voices of the Earth | Gujarat Shabad Yatra

For the last 2 years, at around this time, we have been going for a yatra in small towns and villages of Gujarat, sharing the poetry of various Bhakti and Sufi poets, and the power of the sung word, or Shabad. The first yatra was in north Gujarat two years ago. Last year it was in Saurashtra. This year’s yatra is in central and south Gujarat, with interesting sounding places such as Petlaj, Kim and Kabirvad!

The yatra has been called different names at different points. Sadbhavana yatra, Kabirgaan evam Sufi Samvad yatra, and this year it’s called Vasundhara ni Vani, or Voices of the Earth. In my head I’m calling it the Gujarat Shabad Yatra. (To get over the Kabir frenzy, or fashion, or obsession, that everyone’s into these days. This tradition is about a broader truth – the power of shabad, or the sung word.)

Sat-singing!

New Year / Lohri / Pongal satsang with Vipul Rikhi

Venue: Partly Purple, Yelahanka New Town, Bangalore

Date and time: 13 January 2018, 6-7.30 pm

Songs of Kabir

Songs of Kabir by Shabnam Virmani & Vipul Rikhi

@ Jabalpur Art and Music Festival

24 December, 8 pm, Bhanwartal, Jabalpur

Mystical Sufi Music On Strings With Vipul Rikhi

Venue: Gnostic Centre, Bijwasan, New Delhi
Date and Time: 22 November 2017, 7 – 8.30 pm

Exploring the Mystery of Kabir

A session with the students, teachers and parents at Shikshantar School.

Mann Fakiri Concert Series

A concert series with two artists at three different venues in Hyderabad.

On 25, 28 and 29 November.

Please see the poster for details.

Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka | The Letters of Love

Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka | The Letters of Love
Songs of Kabir and other poets
by Vipul Rikhi

Phoenix Arena, Hitec City, 7-9 pm

Kabir urges us to read the four letters of love in order to be wise. Kabir and other Bhakti and Sufi poets like Bulleshah and Meera speak of impermanence, death, love, joy and the nature of human life and existence, in their songs. Vipul will share some of these songs, which he has encountered during his journeys into the folk oral traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul poetry. These folk songs from different regions of the country speak with startling clarity, and yet with great feeling, about the fundamental truths of human life.

Presented by Hyderabad Trails, this is gifted Kabir singer Vipul Rikhi’s second visit to our venue this year.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2035900249972001/
http://phoenixarena.com/event/dhai-aakhar-prem-ka-the-letters-of-love-songs-of-kabir-and-other-poets-by-vipul-rikhi

Vipul Rikhi is a poet, novelist, translator and singer, and a co-creator of Ajab Shahar, a forthcoming digital archive that celebrates the oral traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul music and poetry. His work with Kabir Project includes extensive writings and translations in the area of mystic poetry. In the course of these journeys he has developed a deep love for singing mystic poetry in the folk music traditions. In his satsangs and performances, he likes to bring equal emphasis to the poetry and its resonances in our lives as to the sheer beauty and simplicity of the folk tunes. He is also the author of a novel and collections of poetry and short stories.
www.vipulrikhi.wordpress.com
www.ishqfakiri.com

All are welcome. Entry-Free (But donations for the artist are graciously accepted)

From Desh-prem to Rashtra-vaad

From Desh-Prem to Rashtra-vaad: Rise of the Assertive and Insecure Indian
November 24 2017, 7:30 pm, Friday
Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Talk by Vipul Rikhi, followed by some songs of Kabir

How do we understand or relate to the current climate of aggressive ‘nationalism’, and are there different models for expressing and sharing a love of the country? This talk by Vipul Rikhi touches on aspects of insecurity and identity crisis which may lie at the root of streaks of assertion and aggression by which the ‘nation’ is sought to be defined. Drawing upon local wisdom traditions and figures such as Kabir and Tagore, the talk aims to offer a broader understanding of self as well as country, and how the two may be related.

The talk will be followed by some songs of Kabir, performed by Vipul Rikhi.
http://www.lamakaan.com/events/4556
https://www.facebook.com/events/188677761705464/

Kabir on Strings

Nirbhay Gaaunga | Fearlessly, I’ll Sing

Nirbhay Gaaunga | Fearlessly, I’ll Sing
Songs of Kabir by Vipul Rikhi

28 October, 6.45 pm
Part of the Social Justice Film Festival
In tribute to Gauri Lankesh

Kabir’s voice is iconic for its fearlessness in speaking truth to power. Vipul will share some songs of Kabir which speak of his truth.

Vipul Rikhi is a poet, novelist, translator and singer, and a co-creator of Ajab Shahar, a forthcoming digital archive that celebrates the oral traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul music and poetry. He is also the author of a novel and collections of poetry and short stories.
www.vipulrikhi.wordpress.com
www.ishqfakiri.com

Concert of Kabir Songs

Concert of Kabir Songs
by Vipul Rikhi & Shabnam Virmani
October 8 2017, 7-8 pm
Part of Ministry of Culture’s
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav

Songs of Kabir and other poets

Songs of Kabir and other poets
by Vipul Rikhi & Shabnam Virmani
October 6, 7 pm onwards
Part of the SAARC South Asian Sufi Festival
organised by FOSWAL
South Asian Sufi Festival To Dazzle The Pink City This Friday

Mann Ke Dhaage | Heart-Strings

Dear friend

As promised we are back again with another evening of two amazingly talented artists Vipul Rikhi with his songs of Kabir and Anupam Joshi with his emotive Sarod. Read more about the artists below. The theme, this time is is ” Man ke dhaage : discovering connections”. In a material world where everybody is running a race, we are left with no time to reflect and connect within and with nature. Poetry and Music are wonderful ways to make these connections. This evening is being hosted in collaboration with the Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Memorial, Chittaranjan Bhawan, New Delhi

Date: Saturday, 2nd Sept 2017
Time : 6-8 pm
Venue : Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Memorial, Chittaranjan Bhawan, Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi 19

This interactive evening is in continuation with our vision for inculcating the love for creative arts in our Government school children. We aspire to collaborate with specially young artists to take their art into government schools thereby creating self and art awareness in children.

Please do come with your friends and family to grace the occasion. We operate on gift culture, so any amount from Rs 0 upto anything is welcome (though its not compulsory). All the contribution will go to the artists for giving their precious time.

Though its a free event, please register yourself at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfueY2b2cWITufu17B1hlYNH758wgNvvmOuebtzYNTshVg-9Q/viewform

Regards
Aahang

Learning from the Oral Traditions of Kabir

Bansuri Vaaghi | Call of the Flute: Songs to Krishna

On the occasion of Janamashtami, a morning of songs to Hari, Kanhaiya, Govind, Gopal, Shyam, Kaala, Saanvariya, Mohan and all the other names that Krishna is known by in the folk traditions. Krishna stands for play (leela), multiplicity and diversity. In the nirgun traditions, Hari stands for the truth within oneself. How do we arrive into a space of allowing the multiplicity of forms outside, and the unity of truth within?

Vipul will share songs to Krishna from the folk music traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul poetry, invoking the idea and energy of Krishna in both his ‘sagun’ and ‘nirgun’ dimensions. These songs speak to Krishna in different languages, in different moods, invoking different ways in which Hari or Kanhaiya or Kaala or Saanvariya relates to us, and how we relate to him.

Bahuri Akela | Many & One: Songs of Kabir

Bahuri Akela | Many & One

Shabnam Virmani and Vipul Rikhi will share some musical and poetic treasures, which they have encountered during their journeys into the folk oral traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul poetry. They will present folk songs from Malwa (Madhya Pradesh), Rajasthan, Kutch (Gujarat) and Bengal, which speak with startling clarity, and yet with great feeling, about the fundamental truths of human life – in the voices of Kabir and other poets such as Gorakhnath, Dharamdas, Meera, Shah Latif and others. All the songs will be introduced in English. The singers will sing to the accompaniment of folk tamburas, khadtaal and manjiras. https://www.facebook.com/events/1909128596021118/

Do Din Ka Mela: Songs of Kabir & Other Poets

An intimate satsang on Sunday, 18 June, to support Ragi Kana – ರಾಗಿ ಕಣ.
In their own words, “Ragi Kana is an emerging socio-cultural hub that aims to bridge the gap between the village and the city. Every Sunday, there is a Santhe (Fair) where village producers/co-operatives exhibit and sell khadi, handloom products, food products and daily essentials. The overall themes that guide Ragi Kana include sustainability, the environment, equality and the ‘idea’ of the village.”

Learning to sing Kabir folk songs with Vipul Rikhi

Time & date: 30 April, 10.30 am to 1.30 pm

Venue: Shoonya Centre for Art & Somatic Practices, Lalbagh Main Road

Once a month we gather with Vipul in Bangalore to learn a song of Kabir or another mystic poet, in the spirit of sharing, openness and togetherness. Entry is open and free, but restricted to a limited number of participants, as the learning happens better in a smaller group. No prior training or experience in singing is required. The idea is to come together in the spirit of Kabir and Bhakti, and delve deep into one song, in terms of the words, meanings and also singing it together as it is sung in the folk traditions from various parts of the country. Prior registration necessary at this link.

Shabad Dhun Laagi | Struck by the Word

Bringing forth the fierce spirit of fakiri and bhakti in folk music are two sets of musicians from two very different deserts of western India – the salt Rann of Kutch and the Thar desert of Rajasthan: Mavji Jagariya, Saidu Ibrahim and Omprakash Nayak.

Their songs will bring alive the poetic depth and spiritual force of Kabir, Mirabai, Shah Latif and other poets, interpreted, translated and joyfully shared by Shabnam Virmani and Vipul Rikhi from the Kabir Project, which has been working at the intersection of mystic poetry and folk music for over a decade.

I Saw Myself: Stories, Poetry & Music from the world of Shah Latif

This event explores the poetry of the great 18th century Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, through storytelling, translations and songs. Each story is invested with a deep spiritual charge and significance. Vipul Rikhi shares these stories along with interpretations of their deep significance for Latif, translations of the poetry in English, and, most importantly, songs of Latif in the ‘kaafi’ form, which are part of the folk oral traditions of Kutch, Gujarat.

Ishq Fakiri: An evening of Kabir Music & Poetry with Vipul Rikhi

Kabir Satsang of Bhakti Music & Stories

Suno Bhai Sadho!

Exploring Sufi poet Shah Latif Bhitai

Time & date: 3-4.30 pm, 2 April 2017

Exploring the poetry of the great 18th century Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, through storytelling, translations and songs. Vipul Rikhi shares these stories along with interpretations of their deep significance for Latif. There will be translations of the poetry in English and, most importantly, songs of Latif in the kaafi form, which are part of the oral folk traditions of Kutch, Gujarat.

Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was a great 18th century Sufi poet who, without exaggeration, can be called the Voice of Sindh. His poetry draws on the power and beauty of Sufi as well as Yogic thought, melding the two philosophies into one poetic and spiritual vision. His major work is the “Shah Jo Risalo” and his poems thrive today as a vibrant oral tradition being widely sung, quoted and loved by both Hindu and Muslim communities in the Sindh and Kutch regions on both sides of the Indo-Pak border.

In a world where women voices were unheard of, Latif took popular love legends of the region and spoke through the voices of different woman protagonists, to weave a web of poetry that plays tantalizingly between the levels of ishq-e-majaazi, worldly love and ishq-e-haqeeqi, spiritual love

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Talk and performance on ‘Devotion as Dissent’

Date: 28th February, Tuesday
Time: 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
Topic: Devotion as Dissent: Relationship of Reverence and Social Critique in Nirgun Bhakti Poetry, by Vipul Rikhi

This talk explores the idea and practice of nirgun Bhakti poetry and music as dissent, not just in the sense of offering social commentary and critique around caste and religious oppressions and corruptions, but equally in basing this critique firmly in a sense of the sacred. How does an attitude of reverence impact our understanding of ourselves and of the world? Do we need to question only mainstream fundamentalisms, or also the kind of secular framework which seeks to have no truck with the sacred?

Workshops and concert at Ramjas College

Jo Dooba So Paar: Questioning Identity in the world of Shah Latif
Workshop with Shabnam Virmani
11am-1pm

Jo Ghar Jaare Aapna: Questioning Identity in the world of Kabir
Workshop with Vipul Rikhi
2.30pm-4.30pm

Yeh Toh Ghar Hai Prem Ka

Concert of Songs of Shah Latif
by Mavjibhai Jagariya and Saidu Ibrahim

Concert of Songs of Kabir and other Mystics
by Shabnam Virmani and Vipul Rikhi
(with Gopal Singh Chouhan on manjiras)

Performance at Tantrotsava

Performance at Tantrotsava at Kalarigram near Auroville

Kaya Mein Gulzar / Gardens of the Body

Time: 5 PM to 6 PM – Feb 18, 2017
Venue: Cubbon Park, near the Cubbon Park Metro Station

Hosted by: Neralu Tree Festival
About: Kabir and other Bhakti poets drew extensively on nature to communicate simple yet profound truths, evoking intriguing images in the process. Vipul Rikhi will explore the idea of gardens of the body, through song.